The present invention is related to computer software and more specifically to computer software for organizing remote files.
Information on a computer system can be arranged in many different files. Different computer systems use different arrangements for storing files. Files on a conventional IBM-compatible computer systems such as are available from DELL computer corporation of Round Rock, Tex. running operating systems with graphical user interfaces such as the Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating system commercially available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. may be organized into hierarchical folders. MACINTOSH personal computer systems commercially available from APPLE COMPUTER CORPORATION of Cupertino, Calif. also use a hierarchical arrangement of folders to organize files. Because the files of a personal computer system may be managed by the users of that system, the hierarchical arrangement of files in a personal computer system allows users to keep track of small groups of files in folders that are hierarchically arranged. A hierarchical arrangement of folders allows folders to contain files or folders.
In contrast to the hierarchical arrangement employed by personal computer system software, conventional mainframe computer systems such as the S/390 computer system running the MVS operating system, both commercially available from IBM Corporation of White Plains, N.Y. do not use a hierarchically-arranged file system. Every mainframe file, known as a file, is on the same, single level. Thus, the arrangement of mainframe files can be referred to as a xe2x80x9cflat file system.xe2x80x9d Because the files in a mainframe computer system are not typically manipulated by the user to the extent of the files in a personal computer system, the flat file arrangement is an acceptable arrangement from the user interface perspective. In, addition, the use of a flat file arrangement allows a file used by one application to be available to another application, without having to keep track of the particular folder used for referencing the file.
The users of a particular type of computer system have come to expect the file arrangement provided by that type of computer system. Additionally, the software of each type of computer system expects the file arrangement provided by that type of computer system. Problems arise, however, when both types of computer systems are used together in a network with the personal computer acting as the client and the mainframe acting as the server and files are shared between the two systems.
It is possible to access files on a mainframe computer system from a personal computer system. One example of such access is to generate a list of files. However, such access is not convenient for the user of the personal computer system because, without the use of a folder system to group files, the mainframe files are all listed together. The benefits of the hierarchical file arrangement are not made available to the user of the personal computer when accessing files on the mainframe computer system. Even if a user were allowed to assign the files of the mainframe to folders on the mainframe, additional problems would result because files on a mainframe computer system are sometimes shared by many users. Because some users would want to organize mainframe files in one manner and other users might want to organize the very same files in a different manner, mainframe computers avoid the folder model. In addition, because the scope of information. contained in some mainframe files can be wider than the scope of information contained in conventional personal computer files, assigning a mainframe file to a single folder may not be convenient. Because a mainframe file may be wider in scope than the folder in which it is arranged, users may desire the file be assigned to multiple folders.
What is needed is a method and apparatus that can allow mainframe files to be organized on a personal computer in a hierarchical arrangement that allows different personal computer users or applications to arrange the mainframe files in a manner that best suits each user""s or application""s needs.
A method and apparatus registers as a network drive or UNC provider to the operating system on the client computer system, and represents the mainframe computer system to the user and any applications of the personal computer system. The method and apparatus allows a hierarchical folder structure to be assigned to the representation of the mainframe. One or more mainframe files can be assigned to each folder in the hierarchical file system. The files can be assigned to each folder by designating for each folder, one or more individual filenames or templates that can encompass multiple filenames. The folder structure and files assigned to each folder are stored in a registry that can be associated with one client computer system or multiple client computer systems or both, allowing each client computer system or group of client computer systems to have files arranged in a manner most suitable to that client computer system or group of client computer systems. The user or application can request the contents of a selected folder, and the method and apparatus retrieves from the registry the filenames and templates associated with the selected folder and uses the filenames and templates to identify the names of matching files on the mainframe. The list of matching files and any subfolders of the folder can be provided to the requester using an interface similar to that used for files stored locally on the client computer system. When a mainframe file is requested on the client computer system, the file may be retrieved from the mainframe to the client computer system in whole or in part.